Summary Of My Bondage And My Freedom By Frederick Douglass

We begin with talks of slavery. Although slavery was definitely not our finest time, it had a large impact on Americans and the period of realism. Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation in Maryland; he was sold as a slave at the young age of eight. At the time, most slaves had a very low quality of education, if any at all, because they were barely even seen as human. Initially, Fredrick Douglass was lucky, for he had been blessed with a kind mistress. This woman, known as Mrs. Auld, began to teach Douglass how to read and write. Eventually, Mrs. Auld was reprimanded by her husband for her actions and ceased her teaching. But, unbeknownst to the Auld’s, she had already set the foundation of a great love of knowledge in the brain of the young man.

In My Bondage and My Freedom, Frederick Douglass writes about how his owner’s found him reading to be very displeasing: “Nothing appeared to make my poor mistress… more angry than seeing me… quietly reading a book or a newspaper. I have had her rush at me, with the utmost fury, and snatch from my hand such newspaper or book…” These actions did not quench his thirst to learn, though. Douglass was determined to continue on his path through education. Later in his story, Douglass states that, “Once awakened by the silver trump of knowledge, my spirit was aroused to eternal wakefulness.” The knowledge Douglass pushed to receive allowed him to achieve a higher understanding of himself and his surroundings. Frederick Douglass went on to become one of the most famous African American leaders of his time. He craved knowledge and that craving forced him to defy adversity; the craving forced him to change, leading ton the creation of great things.